Tobacco machine



Filed June 13, 1916 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES H. Mk

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J. o. MORRIS TOBACCO MACHINE Filed June 13, 1916 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 II-VVENTQR J0. B) 9 g9! 5 j gg ATTORNEYS J. O. MORRIS TOBACCO MACHINE Filed June 13, 1916 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 mHH INVENTOR ATTORNEYS J. o. MORRIS TOBACCO MACHINE Filed June 1a, 1916 WITNESSES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 a-imk INVENTOR Br' 5 Mi 2 ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

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JOHN O. MORRIS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO ACME STRIPPING AND BOOKING MACHINE COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAW- i'i A.

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TOBACCO MACHINE.

Application filed June 13, 1916. Serial No. 103,375.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, JOHN Ol Monms, a citizen of the 'United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tobacco Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to machines for stripping blade-material from the stems of tobacco leaves so as to place such materials in condition for ready manipulation by the cigar maker or packer, and with respect to its more specific features to machines for butting, stemming and straightening tobac-- co leaves for booking.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a practical machine for operating on tobacco leaves and which will automatically butt and stem the leaves and straighten the stemmed leaves for booking.

Another object of the invention is to provide an'eflicient device for butting tobacco leaves.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and practical device for preparing stripped tobacco leaves for booking.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a simple device wherewith the.

operations of butting, stemming and straightening may be automatically performed and the unstemmed leaves may be ejected apart from the stripped leaves and one in which the main parts are capable of adjustment and separation to meet exigencies of operation.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth,'and the scope of the application of which :will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and wherein similarreference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views;-

Figure 1 is a front elevation of an embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 1s a plan V18W' thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof at the end at which butting is performed, and

partly in section;

Flg. 4 is a side elevation at the end where the booking is performed, the view being 'partly in section for clearer disclosure of the is associated with other stemmed leaves in a pile, or book, from which the operator takes or selects the leaf to be used. When the unstemmed leaves are fed into the machine forming the subject-matter of this application the machine operates on the unstemmed material to place it in more efficient condition for the operation of the stemmer; to stem the leaves and to arrange the stemmed leaf in a pile of relatively fiat leaves convenient for further manipulation.

Main feed baht-Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numerals 1 indicate standards of a'main frame. on which various parts o'fthe machine are supported. The main frame is of a skeleton character, and involves longitudinal bars 2 and cross bars 3. At the front the main frame supports a horizontal platform or table 4. Over and adjacent this table is a conveyor for the leaves, and in the present embodiment this conveyor comprises several belts as hereinafter referred to. At each end of the table pulleys 5 and 6 are journaled in the main frame, and a main feed, or main conveyor, belt 7 passes around these pulleys, its upper ply partly lying on the table. The tobacco leaves to be operated upon are supported by the main feed belt, being placed upon the belt 7 at the right hand end of the machine, looking at Fig. 2,and an intermittent'movement' of the belt 7 transfers or ments, the table a, at the feed end has a auge board, or flange, 8, against which the Butt ends of the leaves may be placed. The belt 7 is moved intermittently at intervals in the direction indicated by arrow a, and conveys the leaves into co-operative relation with the stripping mechanism; in the present instance first to the butter, and then to the stemmer.

Batten-4n the present embodiment the butter or butting device comprises elements mounted on a butter carriage, which may be adjusted transversely of the path of the belt 7, and longitudinally of the leaves lying thereon so that the stripping elements of the butter may be made to strip a greater or less length of the stem. The butter carriage comprises upstanding side frames 9 and 1.0 spaced apart and braced to provide a stiif frame or carriage, the lower faces "of the frames 9 and 10 havin flat faces 11, in sliding engagement with similar faces 12 of the main frame. By means of the hand screw 13 transverse ad'ustment of the butter carriage may be e ected. On the front faces of each of the frames 9 and 10 are brackets 14 and 15, the upper. bracket being adjustable towards and from the plane of the table 4 and being held in adjusted position by the, screws 16 and 17, the former passing through slots 18 in the brackets and screwing into the front faces of the side frames 9 and 10. Intermediate .the height of the frames 9 and 10, and at the upper part thereof, are journaled two shafts 19 and 20, having,near one end, large pinions 21 and 22 intermeshing with each other, the pinion 22 meshing with a main driving gear 23 on short shaft 24 journaled in the carriage. On the shaft 24 is a belt wheel 25 which may be coupled thereto by any suitable form of hand operated clutch or shift mechanism 26.. Journaled in the brackets 14 and 15 are the shafts 27 and 28, on each of which are fastened small roller wheels 29 and 30, and around these wheels and larger sprocket wheels 31 and 32 on the shafts 19 and 20, pass endless sprocket chains 33 and 34 which support and move the elements which directly operate on the leaves of tobacco longitudinally of the leaves to strip blade therefrom and thus butt the same.

- In the present embodiment these butting elements are comprised in "brushes 35 of fibrous vegetable material, as tampico, set in wooden backs or bars secured to the pairs of laterally opposite chains. These brushes, butters, or strippers, are disposed on the chains so that as the chains move correspondingly situated brushes on the upper and lower chains, forming a pairof-brushes, will be brought against the stems and faces of the leaves on the belt 7 from opposite sides, and will thrust themselves into the mass of leaves adjacent the butt ends, and will then move together rearwardly longitudinally of the stems, thus stripping a. portion of blade material from the stems. inner plies of the chains 33 and 34 move in a horizontal path rearwardly, and the inner ply of the lower chain is disposed about on a level with the belt 7, so that the brushes carried thereby will be thrust against the leaves. By adjusting the brackets 14, the level of the brushes on the upper chains may be made to com ort with the thickness of material operate upon. By manipulating thescrew towards or from the table, so asto cause more or less of the length of the stems to be operated on by the brushes 35, by adjusting the point, longitudinally of the leaves, at which the brushes contact therewith. In case the brushes first operating on the stems do not clear them sufliciently, additional brushes 36 may be provided to insure removal of the intended part of the blade and a clean stem.

Provision is made for holding the leaves while the butt-ing, or stripping, is being performed, the numeral 37 indicating an oscillatory, rubber faced clamping jaw, or bar, of a length to span the amount of material to be butted at a single operation. This jaw lies above the table 4 and belt 7, and is lowered to press the leaves against the belt 7 and restrain movement of the stems with the brushes referred to, and this pressure or grip on the leaves is preferably a yielding one so as not to bruise the leaves and so as to accommodate different thicknesses of leaf material. The jaw 37 carries two pins 38 slidable in sleeves 39 in arms 40, keyed to a shaft 41 journaled in the butter carriage frame pieces 9 and 10. At one end arms 40 are adjustably and pivotally connected to rock levers 42 fulcrumed on the frames 9 and 10, and having anti-friction rolls 43 eo-operating with face cams 44 on the shaft 19. Springs 48 around pins 38 and between the clamp and sleeves provide for a yielding pressure of the arms against the "clamp. The tension of the springsv is adjustable by nuts 49.

The operation of the butting mechanism will now be clear. The operator places the leaves with their butt ends against the gauge board, or flange 8, and the intermittent advance movement of the belt 7 will cause the clamping jaw 37 to descend and firmly hold the leaves, whereupon the strippers, or brushes 35, will move from opposite directions against the leaves and strip from the .stems the leaf material within their The 13, the carriage 9 may be moved sphere of operation. After the stripping operation the clamping jaw will be elevated by the cams 44, and then the belt 7 will make a further advance movement and carry the now buttefd leaves into position to co-operate with the stemming mechanism.

Stemming mechanism.sThe mechanism, or device, comprises a drawing mechanism which, in the present embodiment, includes a series .of gripper jaws which co-operate with each other in pairs to grip the stems of the, leaves and draw them rearwardly of the machine longitudinally of the leaves, the body of the leaves being stripped from the stems by stripping mechanism, as-card cloth with which the leaves engage, and

through which the stems are pulled by the stem gripper jaws. The gripper jaws of the stemming mechanism comprise bars 50 having corrugated rubber faces 51, the bars .50 being supported and carried by pairs of upper and lower chains 52 and 53 mounted -on upper and lower pairs-of sprocket wheels 54 and 55 at the rear, the chains 52 and 53 at the front passing over rollers 56 and 57.

As will hereinafter appear, sprocket wheels 54- and 55 are synchronously continuously driven in the direction indicated by the, arrow 7), and the respective gripper jaws thereon move around the rollers 56 and 57 and co-operate with each other in pairs to grip the butt ends of stems which have been moved into co-operative relation therewith by the belt 7, as before described. The inner plies of the chains 52 and 53 are horizontal, and after the stems have been gripped, as just stated, they are drawn rearwardly, the grip on the stems being maintained by lateral extensions of the gripper members which pass through guides or channels com posed of upper and lower tracks 58' and 59' secured to the stemmer carriage at each side. The construction of the stem drawing mechanism above described is generally similar to that disclosed in applicants co-pending application No. 52,570, filed September 25, 1915, to which reference may be made for a fuller description. In the present embodiment, however, the-sprocket wheels 54 and 55 and the rollers 56 and 57 are carried by shafts 58, 59, 60, and 61 which are mounted in an adjustable stemmer carriage, this carriage being similar to the carriage in which the butting mechanism is mounted. The numerals 62 and 63 indicate the side frames of the stemmer carriage, the same having smooth lower faces 64 co-operating with similar faces 65 on the main frame so as to be slidable on the latter, and the stemmer carriage may be adjusted longitudinally of the leaves to be operated upon and transversely of the path of the belt 7, by a hand screw 66 similar to the hand screw of the butter carriage. In the present embodiment the chains supporting the gripper jaws of the stemming-mechanism are driven from the main driving gear 23, as will now be explained. Rotating with the shaft 20 is a sprocket wheel 67, and a chain 68 engages this wheel and another sprocket wheel 69 on one end of a transverse shaft 70, jour naled in the frames 62 and 63. On the opposite end of shaft 70. is fixed a sprocket wheel 71, coupled to a sprocket wheel 72 fixed to one end of the lower shaft 59 by chain 73. The numeral 74 represents a belt tightener roll carried by an arm pivoted to the stemmer carriage, and held against chain 73 by a spring 73. In this wise the stem gripping device is driven from the main driving devices, and the butter carriage and the stemmer carriage may be independently adjusted longitudinally of the leaves, the driving connections being maintained nevertheless. Like the butting mechanism, the chains of the stemming mechanism are driven one from the other through the in strumentality of the intermeshing gears, as 74 and 75'.

Co-operating with the gripper mechanism of the drawing mechanism is a belt 7 5 having card cloth 76, which latter cooperates with the stem grippers to strip the body of the leaf from the stems in the stemming operation. The card cloth belt, which may also be denominated a comb belt, lies on the shelf or table 4 beneath the upper ply of the belt 7, the card cloth portion thereof being confined to a narrow inner edge, as indicated in Fig. 2. The belt 75 is supported bypulleys 77 and 78, journaled in the frame of the machine, the latter opposite opening 79in the table 4.

The numeral 80 indicates a bracket supported by the main frame, and longitudinally slotted at 81. The numeral 82 indicates a keeper comprising a plate having at one end a slot at right angles to slot 81 and adjustabl fastened to bracket 80 by a bolt passing through these slots. The opposite end of the plate 82has a forked arm 83 in the fork of which lies a horizontal arm 84 of a bracket on the main frame. 85 indicates a set screw by means of which the forked end of the plate 82 may be raised and lowered. A shaft 86 is journaled on the bracket 80 and a shaft 87 on a bearing 88 in the arm 83. Belt pulleys 89 and 90 on the shafts 86 and 87 support a cylindrical keeper, or leaf pressing belt 91, the lower ply of which runs in a groove in the bottom of the keeper 82, the belt 91 being positioned above the card cloth and causing the stems of the leaves to engage between the teeth of the card cloth and keep the leaves 1 in suchposition that this cloth will strip the body or blades of the leaves from the stems, as the stems are pulled rearwardly by the stemmer gripping mechanism.

Alongside the main feed belt 7, between the same and the card cloth, is a clearer belt 7. Opposite and close to the upper ply of 92 which also assists in feeding the unstemmed leaf and lies on the card cloth belt 75, and at one end is supported by the pulley 78 of the latter belt. The clearing belt extends at the left (-Fig. 2) beyond and above the card cloth pulley and at an angle to the upper face of the card cloth, being supported by a pulley 93 on a frame bracket. and then passing under a guide pulley 94. The blade material stripped from the stems is moved to the left, and out of the sphere of operation of the stemming mechanism, by the clearing belt, and material which may become entangled in the card cloth, so as to pass around the pulley 77 therewith, will be lifted from the teeth of the latter by the clearer belt as such material passes over the pulley 77. Co-operating with the clearing belt is an auxiliary feed belt 95, lying above the leaf straightening device and alongside the main feed belt 7, its inner end being carried by a pulleyextension of pulley 89, and its outer end on a pulley 96 carried by a shaft '97 supported by brackets 98, 98

on the main frame. The lower ply of belt 95 is slightly, above the belt 92 for a portion. of the length of the latter to assist in feeding the crumpled stripped leaf'carried by the clearer belt 92. l

The numeral 99 represents a separating belt supported by a pulley 100 on shaft 97 and a pulley 101 rotatably mounted in brackets 102 and 103 alongside the table 4 the belt 99 preferably extending in front of both the butter and the stemmer. The lowerply of belt 99 lies on the main feed belt 7, and the leaves are engaged between these belts and carried to the butter and thestemmer. In the operation of stemming, the leaf stemmed will be withdrawn from between the belts 7 and 99, but unstemmed leaves will remain therebetween or on the belt 7 and be discharged at the left hand end of the belts (Fig. 2) apart from the stemmed leaf, and beyond the point where the crumpled leaf fallstothe straightening device. The operation of drawing tends to pull the teeth of the card-cloth rearwardly and buckle the belt to which they are attached. These movements are restrained and practically. prevented by the belts 7 and 92, which lie on thestripping belt 75 in front of the card-cloth, the belt 92 lying close to the field of teeth of the card-cloth and extending throughout the length of the stripping field.

The stemmed leaf conveyed to the left by the clearer belt 92, with the assistance of belt 95, falls through a chute 104 disposed beneath the belts 7 and 95, and thence onto a central horizontal belt 105 below the belt 7, having a rough, or friction, surface, and mounted on a pair of pulleys 106 and 107, 'so as to travel transversely of the feed belt belt 105 runs the lower ply of a belt 108 on another pair of pulleys 109 and 110, the lower ply of the upper belt 10S traveling faster than the belt'105. As the crumpled leaf passes between the belts 105 and 108, the upper and faster belt draws a portion of the adhering leaf rearwardly relatively to another portion adhering'to co-operating roughened slower belt 105, traveling simul-- taneously in the same direction, this pair of belts thus unfolding and straightening out the leaf. After being straightened the leaf passes beneath a presser roller 111, journaled in the main frame, which co-operates with the belt 105 to press and flatten the leaf at the discharge ends of the straightening belts, after which the leaves fall to the floor or onto a shelf or platform, one upon the other, forming a pile of leaves which may be readily handled. Alongside the central straightening belt 105 and in the same plane are the leaf positioning belts 112 and 113, mounted on pairs of pulleys 114 and 115, the belts 112 and 113 being driven in the same direction but at a faster rate than the belt 105. Should any of the leaves lie cro'sswise on the surface of the belts 112, these belts will urge the same onto the belt 105 and assist in positioning such leaves, so that they will lie in substantially the same direction, longitudinally on the central belt 105.

Belt driving devices-While any suitable means fordriving the belts in the manner indicated may be employed, it is preferred to do so as follows: On the left hand end. of the shaft 59 (Figs. 2 and 4) is fastened a mutilated gear 116, which co-operates with amutila-ted pinion 117- on a shaft 118 supported in an angle bracket 119 fixed to the side piece'63 of the stemmer carriage. On the shaft 118 is a bevel gear 120 meshing with a bevel gear 121 on a shaft journaled in bracket 119 and having a universal joint connection 122 with one end of a flexible shaft 123, the other end of which is connected to the cross shaft 124 which-carries the pulle 77 and is supported in the main 124, and the pinions 126', 126' being support ed by pairs of arms 128 and 129, respectively, pivoted on the shafts 86 and 124 and to each other. In this wise motion is communicated from shaft 124 to shaft 86, and

adjustment of the several parts permitted without interfering with the driving. On the front end of shaft 124 is a sprocket 130, drives the belt 7 The belt 92 is inter-- mittently driven by contact with the belt 7, and the belt 99'is intermittently dfiven by across belt connection 130' from the shaft of the pulley 5. The upper belt 108 of the leaf straightening device is driven from shaft 59 by a chain connection 131, the two lateral belts by a chain connection 132 from the shaft of pulley 110, and the central leaf straightener belt 105 by a chain connection 133, the severalsprocket wheels being so proportioned in size as to provide the relative speeds referred to. .The left hand pulley of the central belt 105 (Fig. 4) is journaled on the shaft 134, the pulleys of the lat eral belts rotating with the shaft 134. At the right hand end (Fig. 4) the pulley of the central belt is fast on shaft 135, the pulleys of the lateral leaf straightenin 112 and 113 being journaled on this s aft.

Operation-The operator, places damp, unstemmed .tobacco leaves on the main, feed belt 7 of the conveyor, at the .right hand end of the machine (Fig. 2),

aligning the butt ends of the stems against the gauge board 8 in a uniform manner. The operation of the machine causes the main feedbelt to move intermittently and convey the leaves to position in front of the stripping members of the butting mechanism. During this feed movement the leaves will come under the belt 99, which assists in keeping them in position, with the stems longitudinallyof the ath of the butting brushes. Between the intervals of advance of the main feed belt, the butter and the stemmer gripping mechanism operate the one to butt and the other to effect the stripping of the blades of the leaves from the The chain supports of the jaws of the butter and stemmer move continuously, and the brushes co-operate in the manner hereinbefore explained to strip a portion of the leaf from the butts of the stems, cooperating with each other in pairs to. perform this operation while the conveyor is at rest. If the first pair of brushes should leave any leaf portion on the portions of the stemsto be stripped during. the butting operation, the succeeding pair or pairs of brushes will complete the operation. An-

other movement of the main feed belt conveys the butted leaves in front ofthe stemmer gripping mechanism, and into the teeth of,the c'ard cloth 76, the belt 91 kee ing the stems in engagement with the teeth of the card cloth-the keeper belt 91 and the se arating belt 92 moving at the speed of t e main belt 7. When the leaves come to rest in the path'of the gripper jaws of the stemmer,- these latter take firm hold of the stems and draw themrearwardly, thebody of the leaves being stri ped from the stems by the card cloth. The next advance of the main feed belt and belts 91, 92 and 99 conveys the leaves out of the sphere of influence of the stemmer and they drop through the chute 104 onto the central belt 105 of the straightening device when the straightening operation is performed, as be fore explained. Any leaves which have escaped the butter and the stemmer will lie on the belt 7, and ordinarily between this belt and the belt 99, and will be discharged at the extreme right hand end of the machine, so as not to mix with the butted and stemmed material. More or less of the length of the leaves may be butted by adjusting the butter carriage towards or from the main feed belt, and in case it is not desired to butt the leaves the butting mechanism carriage may be adjusted rearwardly to such position that the brushes will not contact with the leaves. Or the chains of the butter may be thrown off so as to out the out this device; The stemmer ripper mechanism may be adjusted towar s and from the main feed belt by adjusting the position of the carriage supporting the same,

so that more or less of the stems shall be grasped by the grippers. This latter operation is particularly useful where the leaf is not to be butted, as it allows for grasping a very short portion of the length of the stems without grasping the blades. In case it is desired to merely butt and straighten leaves, leaving the stemming to be subsequently performed, the separating belt 99 may be taken off, and the 'stem' gripper mechanism adjusted rearwardly to such position as not to operate on the stems,

.separately disposes of any leaf which has not been butted or stemmed, in this wise accomplishing the objects herebefore referred to.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widelydifierent embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall .be interpreted as, illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a butting device comprising, in combination. a pair of brushes, means for supporting leaves with their butt portions toward said brushes, and means to cause the brushes to engage opposite faces of the leaves and move longitudinally thereof to strip blade portions from the leaves.

2. Inan apparatus of the character described, in combination, an intermittently movable belt adapted to convey leaves, a butting device comprising a brush, and means adapted to cause relative translatory movement between said brush and leaves transversely of said belt when in contact to strip a portion of the blades from the stems.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, an intermittently movable conveyor for leaves, a butting device comprising a brush, means adapted to cause relative translatory movement between said brush and leaves when in contact to strip a portion of the blades from the stems, and a carriage movable transversely of said conveyor, said brush de-.

vice being mounted on said carriage. 4. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, an intermittently movable conveyor for leaves, a butting device comprising a brush and means adapted to cause relative translatory movement of said brush relative to said leaves when in contact therewith transversely of the path of movement of said conveyor, and means adapted to adjust the point longitudinally of the leaves at which said brush may contact therewith.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, ,in combination, an intermittently I movable conveyor for leaves, and'a butting device comprising a pair of continuously movable brushes-movable in endless paths transversely of the path of said conveyor, and longitudinally of said leaves.

6. In an'apparatus of the character described, in combination, an intermittently movable conveyor for leaves, a butting device comprising a pair of continuously mov-' able brushes movable in endlesspaths transversely of the path of said conveyor and longitudinally of said leaves, a carriage adapted to support said brushes during said movements thereof, and means adapted to adjust said carriage transversely of the path of movement of said conveyor.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, an intermittently movable conveyor for leaves, a butting device comprislng a brush, means adapted to cause translatory movement of said brush relative to said leaves when in contact and transversely of said conveyor to strip a portion of the blades from the stems, and means adapted to hold the leaves during said stripping operation.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, an intermittently movable conveyor for leaves, a butting devlce comprising a brush, means adapted to cause translatory movement of said brush relative to said leaves when in contact and 10; In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, an intermittentlymovable conveyor for leaves, a butting device comprlsing a brush, means adapted to cause translatory movement of said brush relative to said leaves when in contact to stripa portion of the blades from the stems, and an oscillatory clamp bar adapted to cooperate with said conveyor to yieldingly grip said leaves during said stripping operation.

11. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, an intermittentlymovable conveyor for leaves, a butting device comprising a brush, means adapted 1 to cause translatory movement of said brush relative to said leaves when in contact transversely of said conveyor to strip a portion of the blades from the stems, means adapted to hold the leaves during said stripping operation, a carriage on which said brush s mounted to move as aforesaid, and means adapted to adjust said carriage transversely of the path of said conveyor.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, an intermittently movable conveyor for leaves, a butting device comprising a brush, means adapted to cause translatory movement of said brush relative to said leaves when in contact transversely of said conveyor to strip aportion of the blades from the stems, means adapted to hold the leaves during said stripping operation, a carriage on which said brush is mounted to move as aforesaid, and means adapted to ad ust said carriage longitudinally of the leaves on said conveyor. v

13. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, an intermittently movable conveyor for leaves, a butting device comprising a brush, means adapted to cause translatory movement of said brush relative to said leaves when in cont-act to strip a portion-of the blades from the stems, means adapted to hold the leaves during said stripping operation, a carriage on which said brush is mounted to move as aforesaid and onwhich said holding means is mounted, and means adapted to adjust said meshes belt.

15. In an apparatus of the character de-- scribed, in combination, mechanism adapted to grip the stems of leaves, and means adapted to move leaf material into co-operative relation with such mechanism comprising .a main feed belt, a separating belt superposed relative to said main feed belt, a belt having card cloth between said main feed belt and said mechanism, a clearer belt between said card cloth and said main feed belt, and an auxiliary feed belt superposed relative to a portion of said clearer belt.

, 16. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, mechanism adapted to grip the stems of leaves, means adapted to move the leaf material into co-operative relation with such mechanism comprising a main feed belt, a separating belt superposed relative to said main feed belt, a belt having card cloth between said main feed belt and said mechanism, a clearer belt between said card cloth and said main feed belt, and IBneans adapted to intermittently move said elts.

17.In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, continuously movable mechanism adapted to grip the stems of leaves, means adapted to move leaf material into cooperative relation with suchmechanism comprising a main feed belt, a separating belt superposed relative to said main feed belt, a belt having card cloth between said main feed'belt and said mechanism, a clearer belt between said card cloth and said main feed belt, and means adapted to intermittently 'move said belts.

18. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a conveyor for leaves, card cloth with which the leaves engage, a device adapted to grip the stems of the leaves and pull them through the card cloth thereby freeing them from the blades, a carriage on which said gripping device'is mounted, and means adapted to adjust said carriage longitudinally of said leaves.

19. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a conveyor for leaves, card cloth with which the leaves engage, a device adapted to grip the stems of the leaves and pull them through the card cloth thereby freeing them from the blades, a carriage on which said gripping device is mounted, and means adapted to adjust said carriage transversely of the path of said conveyor.

20. In an apparatus of the character ,described, in combination, a conveyor for leaves, card cloth with which the leaves engage, 'a device adapted to grip the stems of the leaves and pull them through the card cloth thereby freeing them from the blades, a carriage on which said gripping device is mounted, and means adapted to adjust said carriage longitudinally of said leaves and,

transversely of the path of said conveyor.

21. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, stemming mechanism comprising a belt having card cloth and a gripper adapted to pull the stems of leaves relative to said cloth, a belt adapted to feed leaves into position to be operated on by said stemming mechanism, and a belt adjacent and on theside of said card cloth opposite said gripper adapted to convey the stemmed leaf out of the sphere of operation of said stemming mechanism.

22. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, stemming mechanism comprising a belt having card cloth and a gripper adapted to pull the stems of leaves relative to said cloth, a belt adapted to feed leaves into position to be operated on by said stemming mechanism, and abelt adjacent and on the side of said card cloth opposite said gripper-adapted to convey the r stemmed leaf out of the sphere of operation of said stemming mechanism, said lastmentioned belt having a portion spaced above a portion of the card cloth and adapted to lift the stemmed leaf out of the card cloth.

23. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means for unfolding crumpled leaves comprising superposed belts, and means adapted to move said belts simultaneously at difierent relative rates of speed. 7

24. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a belt, belts at each side of the first belt and in substantially the same plane therewith, and means adapted to move said belts in the same direction at dilferent relative rates of speed, the central belt slower than said other belts.

25. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means for unfolding crumpled leaves comprising superposed belts, means adapted to move said belts simultaneously at different relative rates of speed, and means adapted to feed leaf material onto one of said belts.

26. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a belt having a rough leaf supporting face, belts at each side of the first belt'and in substantially the same plane therewith, means adapted to move said belts in the same direction at different relative rates of speed, the central belt slower than said other belts, and means adapted to feed leaf material onto said central belt.

27. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, means for unfolding crumpled leaves comprising superposed belts, means adapted to move said belts simultaneously at different relative rates of speed, and a leaf press at the discharge end of said belts.

28. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a pair of pulleys, a belt around said pulleys, a. second pair of pulleys, a belt around said second pair, one of the plies of the latter belt lying opposite a ply of said first-mentioned belt, means adapted to drive said belts at different relative rates of speed, belts respectively on opposite sides of one of said first-mentioned belts and in substantially the same plane therewith. and means adapted to drive said last-mentioned belts at a greater relative rate of speed than that of the belt therebetween.

29. In an apparatus of the-character described, in combination, a pair of pulleys, a belt around said pulleys, a second pair of pulleys, a belt around said secondpair, one of the plies of the latter belt lying opposite and in the same direction as a ply of said first-mentioned belt, means adapted to drive said belts at different relative rates of speed, belts respectively on opposite sides of one of said first-mentioned belts and in substantially the same lane therewith, means adapted to drive sa1d last-mentioned belts at a greater relative rate of speed than that of the belt therebetween, and a chute adapted to lead leaf material to said intermediate belt.

30. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a stemming device, a leaf straightening device, and means including a conveyor adapted to cause said elements to automatically cooperate to suecessively stem and straighten the stemmed leaves.

31. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a butting device, a stemmin device, a leaf straightening device, an means including a conveyor adapted to cause said elements to automatically cooperate to successively butt, stem and straighten the stemmed leaves.

32. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, in combination, a butting device, a stemming device, means including a conveyor adapted to cause said elements to automatically co-operate to successively butt and stem leaves carried by said conveyor, said butting device comprising a brush, and means adapted to cause relative translatory movement between said brush and leaves when in contact to strip a portion of th blades from the stems.

33. In an ap aratus of the character described, in combination, a butting device, a stemming device, and means including a conveyor adapted to cause said elements to automatically co-operate to successively butt and stem leaves carried by said conveyor, said butting device comprising a brush and means adapted to cause longitudinal movement of said brush relative to said leaves when in contact to strip a portion of the blades from the stems.

34. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a buttin .device, a stemming device, and means inclu ing a conveyor adapted to cause said elements to automatically co-operate to successively butt and stem leaves carried by said conveyor, said butting device comprising a pair of brushes and means adapted to cause sa1d brushes to respectively engage opposite faces of the leaves and move them longitudinally thereof to strip blade portions from the stems.

35. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a butting device, a stemming device, and means including a conveyor adapted to cause said elements to automatically co-operate to successively butt and stem leaves carried by said conveyor, said butting device comprising a carnage adjustable transversely of the path of sa1d conveyor and a pair of brushes mounted on said carriage and movable relatively to sa d carriage transversely of the path of said conveyor when in contactwith said leaves.

36. In an ap aratus of the character described, in com ination, a butting device, a stemming device, and means including a conveyor adapted to cause said elements to automatically co-operate to successively butt and stem leaves carried by said conveyor, said butting device comprising a carriage adjustable transversely of the path of said.

conveyor and a pair of brushes mounted on said carriage and movable relatively to said carriage longitudinally of the leaves when in contact wlth said leaves.

37. In an ap aratus of the character described, in com ination, a butting device, a stemming device, and means including a conveyor adapted to cause said elements to automatically co-operate to successively butt and stem leaves carried by said conveyor,

said butting device comprising a brush, and

means adapted to cause relative translatory movement between said-brush and leaves when in contact to strip a portion o;t the blades from the stems, said stemming device comprising a carriage adjustable transversely of the path of said conveyor and a pair of stem-gripping jaws mounted on said carriage and movable relative to said carriage transversely of the path of said conveyor 38. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a butting device comprising members adapted to strip portions of the blades of leaves from the stems,

a stemming device comprising jaws adapted to grip and move thestems longitudinally of the leaves, carriages on which said members and jaws are respectively mounted, said carriages being independently adjustable longitudinally of said leaves, and driving means for said devices arranged to permit said independent adjustment of said carriages without disconnecting said driving means from said devices.

40. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a main frame, carriages slidably mounted and independently adjustable on said frame towards and from the normal position of the leaves longitudinally of said leaves, a pair of butter brushes carried by one of said carriages adapted to move longitudinally of the leaves when in contact therewith to strip blade portions from the stems, a pair of jaws mounted on another of said carriages adapted to grip and move the stems longitudinally of the leaves, and means adapted to move leaves successively into co-operative relation with said brushes and j aws/ first mentioned belt to 41. A tobacco stripping machine compris-' ing, in combination, a movable field of stripping teeth, means cooperative to press the leaf into engagement with said teeth, a separate movable belt lying close alongside said field to support and carry the stripped blades from stripping position and a second movable belt adapted to cooperate with said grip stripped leaf material.

42. A tobacco stripping machine comprising, in combination, a movable field of strip-.

ping teeth, means cooperative to press the leaf into engagementwith said teeth, aseparate movable belt lying close alongside said field to support and carry the stripped blades from stripping position and a second movable belt adapted to cooperate with the discharge end of said first mentioned belt to grip stripped leaf material.

43. A tobacco stripping machine comprising, in combination, an endless belt having a field of stripping teeth adjacent one edge, means cooperative to press the leaf into'engagement with said teeth, a second endless feed belt, one ply of which lies on said first mentioned belt in front of said field, and a third endless feed belt, one ply of which lies on said first mentioned belt between the inner edge of said-second mentioned belt and said field.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses JOHN O. MORRIS. .Witnesses:

, J. W. ANDERSON,

, H. M. Sammie. 

